A Space Story 90

            Janessa and Ryoko were on a beach.  They found a black man who looked like a younger version of Dr. Winchester Faction.  They tried to tell him this was all a dream.  He informed them that he was not Winchester.  His name was Uzi.  He took them to a party on the beach.  There were sixteen young African men there who all looked exactly alike.  Each one of them was named after a gun.

            “Excuse me,” said Janessa getting everyone’s attention, “I don’t mean to be rude but which one of you is Winchester.”

            The man in the beach chair sat up and said with a smile, “Squad Commander Ryoko and Pilot Janessa welcome.  Look my brothers; it is some of those wonderful young people I told you about from the starship I was on.”

            “Dr. Faction none of this is really happening,” said Ryoko, “it is all just a dream.  You are in the Spectral Horde’s mind trap with the rest of us.”

            “You say such silly things,” said Winchester, “Come enjoy the party.”

            “Dr. Faction you can’t stay here,” said Janessa.

            “Why not?” he said, “it is wonderful here.”

            “She has a point brother,” said one of the other men.

            “Yes brother, you have a life to live out there.”

            “I am sure you would like to stay here with us on the beach brother, but the truth is we are all dead.”

            “Don’t you remember brother; you are the only one left.”

            They were no longer on the beach.  They were in a clinic.  Dr. Winchester Faction was no longer young.  His hair was gray again and he was wearing his white coat.

            “We talked about what we would do if the war was ever over,” said Winchester, “we said we would get a nice place on the beach and live there together.  All of my brothers are dead now.  I have a clinic back on Earth.  It has a wonderful view of the beach.”

            The identical men were no longer dressed for the beach.  They were dressed as soldiers.

            “I am sorry that I outlived you all,” said Winchester.

            “You do not have to be sorry for that brother,” said one of them.

            “Just keep on living and do the good work you have been doing.”

            “And help these nice young people beat those aliens too.”

            Winchester smiled and said, “goodbye my brothers.”

            They waved goodbye to him and then fell away like sand along with the rest of the dream.

            As more minds were freed from the dream the circle of light got bigger.  Not everyone was standing in the circle; some people found they could float in the air if they wished.  The ones leading the exercise gathered at the edge by the darkness.

            “So how are we doing?” said Ryoko.

            “It has been going well so far,” said Duron.  A few have been more resistant than others.  I think I lost Junitha.”

            “I’m right here,” said Junitha as she floated down from above them, “I found Samal.”

            “Did you get him out?” said Ryoko.

            “Yeah but he won’t be much help,” said Junitha.

            “Is something wrong?” asked Janessa, “what was in his dream?”

            “He does not want to talk about it,” said Junitha, “and I promised I would not tell anyone what I saw.  Trust me you do not want to know.”

            “Has anyone seen Ms. Sajan or Mr. Tickbird?” asked Duron.

            “We have not found them yet,” said Ryoko.

            “I wonder if they are sharing a dream the way Evan and Anyantha were,” suggested Janessa.

            “We will just have to keep looking and find out,” said Duron.